Valve mechanism



[Jul -1, 1942. R. BECKMAN 2,288,174

VALVE MECHANISM File'd June 22. 1959- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 V Z0 /%,z 15. 52222} /9 Wm MW ATTORNEY.

y 7, 94 -"w. R. BECKMAN] v 2,288,774 VALVE MECHANISM Filed- Ju e 'zz. 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR;

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 7, 1942 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE 2,238,774; vALvnirmoHANIsM William a. Beckman, South Bend, ma. Application June, 22. 1939, Serial No. 280,442 01aims- (01. 123 -80) This invention relates in general to the: structure and arrangement of valves as applied to internal combustion engines and compressors.

An importantobject 'of the-invention is in-the provision of a flat rotaryvalve structure with" corresponding seats" or-- supports and valve operating means with-single or'opposite portsfor greater eiliciency and less valve speed.

Other important objects of theinvention are in the provision of afiatrotary disc'valve-which eliminates cams, springs andtappets' or rocker arms of the poppet valve typemotorjto-prov-ide unobstructed anda plurality of valve openings in the same plate; to-produce-avalve ofthis kind in which quicker and better regulation is obtained when operated in an engine; better torque at lowspeed; higher efiiciency-and better control of engine throttle; in providinga simple valve structure which permits of valve housing to be die cast having inserts of proper metal for reduction ofwear for valve-at a lowercost than required for a poppet valve construction; in the provision of a valve structure which causes a flame propagation of the gas in st-ratified state in the combustionchamber having a-continuation of the intake-port and an entrance to exhaust ports; the flame traveling from said continuation of' intake port to the entrance of the exhaust port causes a slower burningof-gas vapor in the entire combustion chamber, thus having a-tendency to prevent detonation, pinging, or spark rap; and in general, in the provision of the valve structure and mechanism herein shown and described. i

In the accompanying drawingsillustrating preferred embodiments of the invention.

Fi 1 is a view in elevation of a valveassembly, with parts broken away, as applied to a" Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the valve as used for multiple cylinders having double ports;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the; line 6-6 of Fig. 5 showing how the intake port passes over the exhaust port;

Fig. 7 is a diagram of a valve gearing'layout for multiple cylinder application;

Fig. 8 shows avalve at the sideofa cylinderin which single or double portsmay housed in the valve; and

ill

arms, and many other parts necessary to 013-.

erate poppet valves for internal combustion engines, the present invention proposes the sub: stitution ofa fiat disc valve which is positively operated from the crank shaft itself. The opem. ing in the valve may be the full opening of the. port in the cylinder and if desired the valve disc may be provided with opposite ports, both inlet and outlet, 50 that for a four stroke cycle engine the valve would actually be operated at one quarter of the engine speed. The gear driving mechanism being connected directly to the crank shaft insures an accuracy of timing as well as a simplified driving arrangement.

When present valve invention is used for compressorservice, it is understood that port openings are to be arranged so that theadmission and exhausting is properly timed.

Referring now more particularly to thedrawr ings, this invention is described as applied to a single cylinder engine lllhaving a crank shaft ll witha bevel gear I2 thereon meshing with a bevel gear l3 at one end of a. drive shaft I4 whichextends to the top of the engine cylinder through suitable mountings and bearings in a cap member I 5 thereof. At the upper endof the. valve drive shaft is a pinion l6 meshing with a gear l1. mounted upon a short shaft l8 which hasa plate valve I9 attached to the other end thereof. This valve is preferably in the form of a. flat circular disc having opposite segmental ports "therein and that it is directly rotated in timed relation to thecrank shaft,

The short shaft I8 is mounted in a bearing 2.! in'the cap member 15 which has a flange I5' engaging the outer rim of valve I9v so that. the valve fits closely in a valve recess 22 at the upper end of the engine cylinder. Fuel is admitted through the valve openings from an inlet passage 23andthe exhaust is discharged. through, an outlet passage'24, both in the: cap member.- l5. .Below the valve at the top' of the engine cylinder is a. partition 25 separating the inlet from the exhaust and in the inlet side is a spark plug 26. This partition 25 provides a con tinuation of the inlet and exhaust passages in the cylinder, and by locating the spark plug in this inlet passage, flame propagation is delayed thereby tending to cause a slower burning of the gas vapor in the combustion chamber. At theupper side of the cap covering the valvedriving gearis a cover plate 21.

A multiple cylinder valve operating arrangement is shown diagrammatically in Fig. '7 in which a plurality of valves l9 having drivin gears I! are actuated by a valve driving shaft l4 which is connected to a crank shaft II by angle gears l2 and I3; the valves being driven in the same direction of rotation by idler gears 28 interposed between successive gears 11 and suitably mounted on shafts 29 between the successive engine cylinders. In this manner any number of valves are positively driven in direct timed relation with the crank shaft.

Another operating arrangement of valves for a multiple cylinder engine can be had by eliminating the idler gears 28 and having valve drive gears I'I meshing with each other. In this arrangement every other valve would rotate in opposite direction permitting simplified manifolding of the intake ports.

For a multiple cylinder engine arrangement having double ports for inlet and exhaust and Valves at the tops of the cylinders, a diagrammatic sketch is shown in Fig. with valves 3!! and 3| having their openings 20 at ninety degrees apart and with a system of inlet and exhaust passages 32 and 33 communicating respectively with opposite ports 34 for the inlet to each cylinder and opposite ports 35 for the exhaust passages for each cylinder so that as each valve rotates the two valve openings will -make a double connection with both inlet ports 34 and double connection with both outlet ports 35 for each rotation of the valve.

A portion of the inlet passage underlies the exhaust passage 33 as shown more clearly in the section taken at the critical point as shown in Fig. 6, the inlet port 34 appearing at the farther side of the port 35 from the inlet passage.

It is also contemplated that a valve of this type may be applied at one side of a cylinder 40 as shown in Fig. 8, a recess 4| being provided at right angles to the cylinder for seating a valve l9 therein, the end'of the cylinder having a partition 41 for spacing an inlet port 42 from an exhaust port 43 and a spark plug 44 being located opposite the inlet port at the top of a piston 45 movable in the cylinder. Fuel is fed in an inlet passage 46 through one of the ports 20 in the valve and is fired by the spark plug 44. The exhaust gases are discharged through the valve l9 and port 43 into an exhaust passage 48.

In the construction, as shown by Fig. 8, as in that shown in Fig. 3, the provision of a continuation of the inlet passage within the cylinder, and the location of the spark plug therein, tends to prevent a too rapid flame propagation and to cause a slower burning of the gas vapor, thus tending to prevent detonation, pinging, or spark rap, which are objectionable in the present type of high speed engines using high octane gases.

It is also contemplated that a double valve arrangement as shown in Fig. 9 may be applied to each engine cylinder 50. Valve seats 5| are located at an angle to each other for seating valves I9 therein and the valve gears I! have a single drive shaft 52 with a pinion 53 thereon for engaging both of the gears I! for operating the valves. In this form fuel is admitted by the valves through inlet ports 54 preferably at the top and adjacent a spark plug 55, the inlets being separated from exhaust passages 56 by partitions 51. In this form the inlet and exhaust passages are omitted to show the valve arrangement more clearly.

Another arrangement of valves as shown in Fig. 9 can be had by using both ports in one of the valves IQ for intake and both ports in the other valve IQ for exhaust. It being preferable in this case to have ports arranged degrees to that shown in Fig. 9.

In these different engine forms and various assemblies the other structural features of the engines remain the same, they may be Waterjacketed or air-cooled, but the valve assembly and the valve operating mechanism is simplified and improved to eliminate cams. springs, tappets or rocker arms, and poppet valves, to obtain a better control of throttling and quicker and better regulation resulting in higher efficiency.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder with a circular recess at the end of the cylinder, a closure cap for the end of the combustion chamber of the cylinder including fuel inlet and exhaust passages for the cylinder, a flat disk valve seated at its edge in the valve recess concentric with the cylinder, means for driving the valve in timed relation, the cylinder being provided with a partition adjacent and below the valve recess for also separating the inlet from the exhaust within the cylinder, and a spark plug extending through the cylinder wall and into the inlet passage at the end of the cylinder at one side of the partition and thereby tending to prolong flame propagation and prevent detonation.

2. In an internal combustion engine having a crank shaft, a piston, cylinder and a pair of fuel admission and a pair of discharge passages at the end of the cylinder to communicate with the combustion chamber thereof, a flat disk valve having opposite openings therethrough to communicate both at the same time with the inlet passages and also with the discharge passages respectively, a partition within the cylinder adjacent the inner or underside of the valve to continue and separate the inlet and exhaust passages for a short distance within the cylinder, an ignition device located within the cylinder and within the continuation of the fuel admission passage within the cylinder to cause a slower flame propagation therein, and a driving means directly connected with the engine for rotating the disk valve in timed relation for correct fluid distribution.

3. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder having a pair of fuel admission and a pair of exhaust passages at the end of the cylinder to communicate with the combustion chamber thereof, a flat disk valve fitting concentrically with the cylinder, having opposite segmental ports in the disk to communicate with the admission and exhaust ports respectively, means in connection with the engine for continuously rotating the disk in timed relation for correct fluid distribution, a partition within the cylinder at the inner or underside of the valve disk for forming a substantial continuation of the inlet and exhaust passages and separating them from each other within the cylinder, the cylinder being provided with a valve recess at the ends so that the disk is substantially enclosed and protected against flame and pressure contact except at the inlet and exhaust passage openings, and fuel ignition means located within the inlet passage continuation in the cylinder at the inside of the valve, tending to cause a slower burning of gas vapor in the combustion chamber.

4. In aninternal combustion engine, a cylinder having a circular valve recess and fuel inlet and exhaust passages extending from the recess for correct fluid distribution, a projection at the inner or underside of the recess forming a partition, dividing and continuing the inlet and exhaust passages for a short distance within the cylinder, fuel igniting means located at the inner side of the valve recess in the continuation of the fuel inlet passage for inducing slower burning of gas vapor, tending to prevent detonation, and a flat disk valve having opposite openin s rotatable in the valve recess of the cylinder and substantially covered at the inner side by the partition except at the passage openings other than through the space provided by the inlet and exhaust passages.

WILLIAM R. BECKMAN. 

